Dream Lovers
by Heavenly Pearl
Summary: Written for the sm monthly community at LiveJournal, this is a series of unrelated ficlets focused on Chibi Usa and Helios.
1. Memory of a Kiss

A NOTE BEFORE READING: "Dream Lovers" is a series of unrelated ficlets focused on my all-time favorite couple, Helios and Chibi-Usa. They were written for the smmonthly community at LiveJournal. I hope you enjoy!

Title: Memory of a Kiss

Theme: Kiss

Genre: Romance

Version: Manga

Rating: G

Memory of a Kiss

I still remember our first kiss.

It was right after we helped Mercury defeat Fisheye at her apartment. Transforming into our senshi forms to fight had broken the spell of black magic the Dead Moon Circus put on me and Usagi which switched our ages, but it was at that moment that I finally realized how much of a child I really was. I knew I still had a long way to go before I could truly compare myself to Usagi, the maiden Helios was really searching for, so after telling him the truth, I ran away, a pain in my heart and tears in my eyes.

I had no real destination in mind, only the desire to get away from it all and wallow in my own self-pity. I couldn't believe how stupid I had been, actually thinking I was the one who could help Helios break the seal on the Golden Crystal and save his home world of Elysion. After all, I had no real power without Sailor Moon by my side. I should have known from the first time I heard his prophetic words that it wasn't me, although in my heart of hearts, I think I always knew. I just didn't want to admit it.

The truth was, I liked it when he called me his "maiden." It made me feel beautiful and special like Usagi, like I really truly mattered and wasn't just some useless senshi-in-training. However, I wasn't the maiden Helios needed, and the sadness of that realization echoed in the raindrops that had begun to fall from the cloudy sky.

It was then that Helios appeared before me, a beautiful white horse with wings as soft as snow. He didn't say a word as I stood there crying in the rain, but when I felt a pair of gentle lips against my own, I opened my eyes to discover that the Pegasus had disappeared and a handsome young boy had taken his place in front of me.

I didn't know what to think at that moment. My heart pounded, and my cheeks felt hot. I didn't even realize it was Helios until after the boy left and Usagi and Ami found me.

Still, at that moment, I knew I had found my Prince Charming, and that no matter what, I would always be his maiden.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.


	2. A Nightmare Returns

Title: A Nightmare Returns

Theme: Ominous

Genre: General

Version: Manga

Rating: PG

A Nightmare Returns

He knew something was wrong from the moment he woke up and found his maiden's side of the bed empty. Serenity loved her sleep almost as much as her mother and rarely ever woke up before he did. Sitting up, Helios rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes and turned his attention toward the opened double doors which lead out onto their bedroom balcony, where he found his new bride standing, her long pink hair unbound and dancing in the wind behind her.

At another time, he might have smiled, thinking how beautiful she looked in the early morning light, but instead, Helios frowned at the sight and reached for his robe, laying at the foot of the bed where he had left it the night before.

"Serenity?" he called out, getting out of bed after pulling the robe over his silk pajama pants.

She didn't respond to the sound of her name, causing Helios' worry to deepen. In the brief time they had been married, Serenity had never acted like this before. Coming up behind her, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, surprised when he felt her jump underneath his touch.

"Maiden, why are you up so early?" he asked, his voice soft as not to startle her further. "It isn't like you."

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, still not turning around to face him. "Just a touch of insomnia, that's all."

His frown deepened. As far as he knew, she had had no trouble sleeping last night after they had made love. In fact, he himself had watched her as she fell asleep in his arms, smiling at the thought of the beautiful dreams she was seeing behind those closed eyes. She had looked as peaceful as an angel.

Noticing that she was shaking, Helios protectively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "What's really bothering you?" he prodded. "And tell me the truth this time. Something has obviously shaken you."

For a long moment, Serenity was silent, staring straight ahead as if in some kind of trance. However, she finally shook her head and broke away from his embrace, turning around to face Helios. Her bright ruby red eyes, normally so full of love and happiness, seemed somehow darker, and she did not smile as she usually did whenever she saw him.

"I…had a dream," Serenity admitted. She again shook her head. "No, not a dream, a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare."

Taking her hand, Helios pulled her back inside the room. "Tell me about it."

Serenity sat down on the bed, drawing her knees up to her chest as if she was a little girl again. "It was terrible, Helios," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. Helios had to join her on the bed in order to hear her. "Nehelenia was back, and she was after you again, wanting revenge over what happened all those years ago."

"But Sailor Moon and the others defeated Nehelenia, remember?" he reminded her. "You were there. You saw what happened."

"I know, but… What if we didn't defeat her completely?"

"Of course you did. The curse on me and Elysion was lifted. That wouldn't have happened unless she was gone."

"I don't know about that," she said, hugging her knees even closer to her. "Sailor Moon sealed her back in the mirror, and the mirror cracked, which we thought meant she wouldn't be able be able to return, but what if we were wrong? In my dream, the mirror had been fixed. What if that really happened, Helios? I don't want to lose you, not now when we're finally married and so happy together."

Tears began to run down her cheeks. Scooting closer to her, Helios took his wife in his arms and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. While he doubted her dream was anything more than just a terrible nightmare -- after all, she was not prone to prophetic dreams -- he understood how upsetting it must have been.

"It'll be okay, my maiden," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Nothing will ever take me away from you. Whatever happens, we will take it on together."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	3. A Rain of Roses

Title: A Rain of Roses

Theme: Image

Genre: General/Humor

Version: Manga

Rating: G

A Rain of Roses

"How much longer do I have to pose like this? My arms are getting tired."

"Just a little while longer. I'm almost finished."

"Define 'almost.' Is this the same 'almost' you use when you say you're almost dressed, yet you haven't even decided what to wear?"

Peaking around her easel, Serenity stuck out her tongue at her model. "I don't take _that _long to get dressed."

"The last time I took you to the ball, I had to wait over an hour before you were ready," he reminded her.

"Yes…well…" Unable to come up with a suitable retort, she stuck her tongue out again, and Helios laughed.

The two of them were out in the royal gardens of what used to be the Golden Kingdom. Serenity had asked him to be the model for her latest painting, which normally wouldn't have been so bad had she not posed him in such an uncomfortable position. Standing in the middle of the central rose garden, he had his arms raised up to the heavens and his head slightly tilted back as if he was looking up at the sky.

Of course, he couldn't actually look up unless he wanted to be blinded by the bright afternoon sun, another reason for his uncharacteristic grouchiness. Whatever she was painting, he hoped it was a masterpiece after all the torture she was putting him through.

"Okay, you can take a break now," Serenity announced about ten minutes later.

"Hallelujah!" More than happy to be able to move around again, Helios dropped his arms and went over to see what the painting looked like so far.

Serenity, however, immediately blocked his view of it, covering his eyes with her hand when she caught him glancing over her shoulder. "No, no, no. You know the rules, Helios. No peeking until I'm finished."

"Not even a small one?"

"Not even a small one. Now, why don't you go sit down over there and eat some of those snacks Eos brought out for us? You'll need your strength for the next session." While Helios had been posing, one of the Maenads of the shrine had brought out a tray of delicious looking sweets and set it down at a nearby patio table.

"Another session? I thought you said you were almost finished."

"I meant I was almost finished with the part I was working on," she explained. "I still need to do your face."

Helios sighed but didn't argue, knowing that he couldn't ever say no to his maiden. After a short break for tea and cookies, he got right back into position, doing his best not to talk or smile since he knew she was painting his face.

He did, however, occasionally sneak glances at his maiden, thinking how cute she looked, her lips pursed and her brows furrowed together in deep concentration as she worked on her painting. Instead of the elaborate dresses she normally wore, Serenity had dressed down in what she called her "painting clothes," -- a pair of torn paint-spattered jeans and a pink smock -- and her rose-colored hair had been pulled back into a simple ponytail, a change from her usual odango style. Helios couldn't help but think she looked beautiful even without her usual glamour, and, despite his best attempts not to, a smile flickered on his lips.

"Helios, be still!" Serenity scolded, wagging her paintbrush in his direction. A bit of white paint, presumably for his hair, spattered on the ground. "You're going to mess me up!"

"Sorry!"

He set his face into position again, as still as a statue until Serenity finally set down her palette tray and paintbrush, announcing that she was really and truly finished. Helios then came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders as he got his first look at the completed painting.

"It's beautiful, my maiden," he complimented her, amazed at always at her talent. Sailor Neptune, her mentor and teacher in the arts, had taught her well.

"Do you really think so?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "It didn't turn out exactly as I planned…"

"I love it," he assured her.

In fact, Helios personally thought it was one of her best paintings. It was of him in the rose garden, but Serenity had added a shower of roses falling from the sky, a few of the delicate petals landing on his hair and clothes. Even though he had posed stationary, the way she had painted him almost made it seem as if he was twirling around, and Helios noticed she had added a rose to his left hand.

"What are you going to call it?" Helios asked.

"Hmm… What about _A Rain of Roses_?" she suggested, and he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"That sounds just about perfect."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	4. Nehelenia's Curse

Title: Nehelenia's Curse

Theme: Curse

Genre: Angst

Version: Manga

Rating: G

Nehelenia's Curse

_I hate this._

It was not the first time I had the thought, nor would it be the last. Even though I knew it would do no good, I kicked at the door to my cage with my back legs in frustration, unintentionally catching the attention of my captor.

"Now, now, Helios, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that," Nehelenia, the self-titled Queen of the Dead Moon, said in her low, menacing voice. She walked over to my cage and ran her hand across the gold-plated bars, a sneer upon her lips. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to the priest of Elysion, would we?"

"What would you care?" I retorted back defiantly. "In fact, why don't you just kill me now, instead of keeping me imprisoned here like some kind of animal?"

"_Like _some kind of animal?" Nehelenia laughed. "My dear priest, you _are_ an animal, in case you've forgotten."

How could I forget? Nehelenia's curse had turned me into a Pegasus. I had four legs, a mane, a tail, and a pair of wings I couldn't even use to fly away since she had locked me away in the cage.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Very well," she sighed. "You want to know why I haven't killed you yet, even though we've already managed to infiltrate Earth? It's because you may still have some used to me."

"I will never submit to your evilness, Nehelenia!" I swore, glaring at the dark queen. "Never!"

"You say that now, but we'll see if you're so stubborn when it really matters."

With that threat, she turned around and left the room, the rustling of her long full skirts against the ground sounding like hissing snakes to my ears. Once she was gone, I laid down as best as I could in the confining cage and sighed, exhausted from my latest trip on the astral plane.

Astral projecting myself was the only real freedom I could achieve from within my golden prison. Nehelenia had no idea of the secret visits I paid to the pink-haired maiden I hoped could save Elysion from her nightmares, although she was bound to find out eventually. In fact, I feared she already suspected as much due to my growing weakness. Every time I projected myself onto the astral plane, I lost more and more of my already limited power.

It would be worth it, though, if I could somehow find the Golden Crystal that would be able to break the spell Nehelenia had put on Elysion, Prince Endymion, and myself. To banish her evil nightmares from the world, I knew I would fight until the very end, even if it meant I had to deplete the rest of my powers to do so.

However, I had to admit my astral visits to the Earth realm weren't always so wholly pure and noble. I also wanted to see _her_, the cute little girl who potentially had the power to break the seal on the Golden Crystal, and that was what was frustrating me most about my current state.

The maiden had no idea who I really was. She was still under the mistaken impression that I truly was a Pegasus, unaware that my appearance was actually the result of Nehelenia's curse.

Though I could revert back to my original form while on the astral plane, so far I had resisted the urge. To do so would require enormous power, and I had to reserve as much strength as I could if I wanted to be any kind of help to her and my prince in the battle against Nehelenia and her freaky Dead Moon Circus. I couldn't waste my power on such a frivolous thing as revealing my true identity to the maiden, no matter how my heart longed to be able to hold her in my arms.

The truth was, I found myself unexpectedly developing feelings toward my maiden. I wasn't quite sure when it had happened, but she was the one light in my otherwise dark and gloomy world. My ears were always on alert for the pealing sound of the bell I had given her to call me, and, whenever I did hear it, my heart beat a little faster, knowing I would be able to see her soon.

But, to her, I was just a friend, a mysterious beast who appeared occasionally to offer his guidance and assistance. As long as I was still a Pegasus, she would never return my feelings.

I sighed, resting my head down on the cold floor of my cage. Would there ever be a day when the curse was lifted and I could finally confess my true feelings? I had to hope there would be, but sometimes it seemed like an impossible dream.

Still, impossible or not, I had to hold onto my faith.

"Maiden," I whispered before closing my eyes to sleep, "find me the Golden Crystal, and I promise I will make all your dreams come true."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	5. Golden Eyes

Title: Golden Eyes

Theme: Brilliant

Genre: General

Version: Animanga

Rating: G

Golden Eyes

He has the most unusual eyes I have ever seen.

Granted, my own ruby red eyes are far from the norm, but there is something different about his, something difficult to describe with mere words. They are like two golden suns, brilliant and bright, always shining with so much love and kindness. Warm as fire, yet soft as cotton, I feel so protected whenever he looks at me, as if he is my own guardian angel come down from heaven, sent to keep me safe.

Yet there's more than that in his eyes, so much more. They're intelligent; that was one of the first things I noticed about his eyes. Even though he's the priest of Elysion, the land of dreams, his eyes never hold that empty, far-off gaze I sometimes see in my mother's. Instead, they're more like my father's, always alert and focused, taking everything in like a curious child who wants to learn everything thing about the world around him.

They're also passionate. Whenever he feels deeply about something, it's as if there is a spark lighting them on fire, the flames making his eyes seem even more golden than before. I sometimes catch him looking at me with those eyes, and I feel as if I am on fire, too, the most desirable woman in the world to him.

Innocence and purity shine in his eyes as well. I doubt he's ever had a sinful, evil thought in his entire life. Well, that may be an exaggeration, as all humans have a secret dark side to their souls, but his light is so much brighter than his darkness that it chases away any shadows that I might find.

In fact, I have to look deep in his eyes before I notice the small trace of sadness that is always there, although hidden from the casual observer. I know without asking that it comes from the pain of old memories, of losing almost everyone he cared about in the Golden Kingdom's long ago destruction, and, sometimes, it makes me want to cry in sympathy for him. He was one of the very few survivors of that massacre, and even though my father, the prince of that ancient kingdom, was reincarnated, those horrific memories will never be forgotten.

Despite all he suffered, though, his eyes are still filled with hope, with dreams of a happy, peaceful future. That's probably the thing that strikes me most about his eyes. Whenever I feel lost or confused, all I have to do is look at him to know that everything is going to be okay, that we can pull through anything as long as we're together.

I hope those eyes never lose their brilliance…

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	6. Red Death

Title: Red Death

Theme: Sick

Genre: Tragedy/Romance

Version: Anime

Rating: PG

Red Death

He hated seeing her in so much pain.

Every groan, every moan, every stifled cry cut through his heart like a knife, and the worst thing about it all was that there didn't seem to be anything he, or anybody else, could do about it. Mercury had performed every medical test known to man, but even with her vast knowledge of diseases, she couldn't seem to be able to diagnose his wife's mysterious illness. The only thing they could do in the meantime was try to keep Serenity as comfortable as possible, which wasn't easy when none of her medications wanted to work.

"Can't you use her powers to heal her, Saturn?" Helios asked as his wife's best friend took the thermometer out of her mouth and recorded the reading on her chart.

"I would in a heartbeat if I could, Helios, but my powers only heal physical injuries," Saturn explained, with a somber shake of her head. "I can't even lessen her pain."

"Damn it." Helios wasn't prone to cursing, but the swear seemed appropriate concerning the circumstances. "Why aren't the medications working? Why doesn't anything seem to be working?"

"Mercury is trying her best to find out why, but --"

"Her best isn't good enough!" Helios interrupted, not wanting to hear yet another excuse as to why Serenity's illness remained undiagnosed. "I want answers, now!"

"I'll go down to the labs and see if she's made any progress," Saturn offered, heading toward the door.

She left, and Helios moved from the chair where he had been sitting while Saturn checked Serenity's vitals back to the bed. He had not left his wife's side for a moment since that morning, when she had woken up suddenly complaining of being unbearingly hot despite the comfortable temperature of their bedroom. Taking the compress off her forehead, Helios refilled it with fresh ice from the bucket Saturn had brought up with her.

"It's so hot, Helios," Serenity said in a weak voice, her eyes fluttering open when he placed the cold compress back on her forehead. "Why is it so hot?"

"You have a very high fever, my maiden," he replied. "Mercury hasn't been able to uncover the reason yet, but she's working very hard to find out what's wrong with you."

"Mama, Papa… Where are they?"

"Serenity-sama and Endymion-sama are on their way back from Kinmoku. They should be home any moment now." The king and queen had been on an official week-long visit of goodwill to the home of the Starlights, but immediately decided to cut their trip short when they heard of their beloved daughter's illness.

As if right on cue, the door to their bedroom swung open, and the king and queen rushed inside. Neo-Queen Serenity hurried over to her daughter's bedside, while King Endymion stood at the foot of the bed, trying to seem calm even though Helios knew he must be a wreck inside.

"How is she, Helios?" the king asked, his knuckles white as he gripped the top of the footboard. "Has there been any more news since Luna contacted us?"

Helios shook his head, wishing with all his heart he had better news. "Mercury still hasn't been able to give us a diagnosis, and none of the medications she's given her seem to help." Standing up, Helios decided to let his wife's parents have some time alone with her. "I'm going down to the kitchen to get some lunch. Do any of you want me to bring you back anything?" he asked.

Both the king and queen shook their heads, and Helios quietly left the room, although he did not head down to the kitchen like he said he would. He was too worried to even think about eating. Instead, he headed toward Mercury's laboratory, running into Saturn along the way.

"Helios, Mercury's finally been able to make a diagnosis," she announced, although by the dark look in Saturn's eye, Helios knew it was not good news.

"What is it?" he asked, mentally preparing himself for the worst.

"It's Martian fever." Saturn looked on the verge of tears as she said the words aloud.

Helios, however, had never heard of such a thing before. "Martian fever? What is that?"

"It's an ancient illness, going back to the days of the Silver Millennium," she explained, unable to look him in the eye. "That's why Mercury had such a tough time with the diagnosis. It was thought to have died out when the Silver Millennium ended and Mars became a dead planet. A case of Martian fever hasn't been reported in centuries, but we suspect she may have contacted it somehow last month when you two went on that vacation to Mars. The symptoms don't usually show themselves until late in the ill--"

"Saturn, what does this mean for Serenity?" Helios demanded to know, not wanting a history lesson. "Is there a cure? Will she be alright?"

Saturn didn't say a word. She simply shook her head and embraced him.

"She's dying? My wife is dying?" Helios asked, shell-shocked. "No, that isn't possible. There has to be something we can do to save her. I'll send Luna and Artemis down to the Lunar Archives, and I'm sure they can find something in the old Lunarian texts…"

"A cure was never found, Helios," Saturn said. Her voice cracked, and he knew without looking down that she was struggling not to cry. "They called it the Red Death because once someone was infected, there was nothing anybody could do to save them. Not even the power of Queen Serenity's ginzuishou was able to fight it."

"Then…"

Her embraced tightened. "I'm sorry, Helios. I'm so, so sorry."

Not wanting her comfort, or anyone else's, for that matter, Helios pulled away, running as fast as he could back to their bedroom. Servants stared after him as if he was a crazy man, but, at the moment, he couldn't have cared less for propriety. If what Saturn said was true, he intended to spend every last second he could with his maiden, even if it meant he caught the Red Death as well. He hadn't thought to ask Saturn if the disease was contagious or not, but if it was, he would consider it a blessing, for he could not imagine living the rest of his life without her by his side.

By the time he returned to the bedroom, however, it was too late. King Endymion held his daughter's lifeless body in his arms, sobbing into her hair, as Serenity's mother clenched her namesake's hand to her chest, hysterically whispering, "Come back to us, Small Lady, come back to us! Oh, please, come back!" as tears ran down her cheeks. Neither noticed Helios' arrival until he let go of his grip on the door and it closed behind him with a soft click that sounded far too loud in the quiet room.

"Helios…"

Neo-Queen Serenity stood up and moved to hug him, though she stopped when Helios shook his head. Understanding, she touched her husband's shoulder, and the two of them reluctantly left after kissing their only daughter one more time goodbye.

Once the door had closed behind them, Helios slowly approached the bed, in disbelief of what he saw. His maiden, always so full of life and energy, motionless. Dead. It felt like a nightmare.

It _had_ to be a nightmare.

How could she have left him so quickly? He had only been gone ten, fifteen minutes at the most. Her parents had only just returned home from their trip, and Pluto, Serenity's other best friend, hadn't even been informed of her illness yet, since only those of the Lunarian line were allowed to visit the Time Gates.

Nobody had had the chance to give her a proper goodbye.

Taking the spot on the bed where the king had been sitting, Helios gathered his wife in his arms, his lips desperately pressed against her now cool forehead as if she was a princess in a fairy tale, only requiring the kiss of her one true love to bring her back to life. Of course, they weren't living in a fairy tale, and she remained unresponsive in his arms, even when he moved down to kiss her lips, the tears rolling down his cheeks giving them a salty taste.

"Serenity…"

He held her closer, stroking her hair and memorizing the features of her exquisitely beautiful face, lovely even in death. There was so much he wished he could have told her, but only one thing came to his mind at that moment.

"I love you, my maiden. Sweet dreams."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	7. Teaspoons and Tablespoons

Title: The Difference Between Teaspoons and Tablespoons

Theme: Sugar

Genre: Romance/Humor

Version: Animanga

Rating: G

The Difference Between Teaspoons and Tablespoons

"Lessee…what do I need?"

Standing in front of the opened pantry, the princess of Crystal Tokyo took out a sheet of paper, on which Jupiter had jotted down the instructions to her world-famous snickerdoodles, and began pulling out the necessary ingredients: sugar, shortening, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. She then went over to the refrigerator, taking out some butter and two eggs, and brought all the ingredients over to the spacious island in the middle of the kitchen, along with the necessary utensils. The head pastry chef at the palace, upon seeing what she was doing, raised a doubtful eyebrow.

"Your Highness, if you have a special request, we would be quite happy to make anything you ask," he offered. "After all, we are the finest cooks in all of Crystal Tokyo. Nothing is beyond our expertise."

Princess Lady Serenity shook her head and grinned. "Thanks, Ryuusaki-san, but I want to do this for myself. Priest Helios will be visiting the palace later today, and I would like to make him something extra special."

"Very well," he said with a slight bow. "If you require any assistance, however, do feel free to ask."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Once Ryuusaki had left, Serenity looked down at the first instruction Jupiter had written down on the piece of paper: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

"Sounds easy enough," she remarked to herself, heading over to one of the ten ovens equipped in the large kitchen.

However, upon seeing the complicated panel of buttons above the oven, she frowned. Back when she had lived the twentieth century and helped her grandmother Ikuko in the kitchen, the oven had simple dials that a person only had to turn in order to choose the correct temperature. Serenity had never used one with buttons before.

"How do I turn this thing on?" she asked herself, not wanting to have to ask for Ryuusaki's help before she even got started.

Finally spotting the "Start/On" button, Serenity pressed it, but was annoyed when nothing seemed to happen.

"Come on, turn on you stupid thing!"

Not knowing what else to do, Serenity began pushing buttons at random and let out a small cry of triumph when the "Bake" button finally brought up a screen to choose the temperature. There were two buttons right underneath the screen that were labeled with a plus and minus sign, so Serenity began pressing the plus sign until the temperature was set to the required 400.

"There! That wasn't too difficult," she said, again pressing the "Start/On" button. That time, it did work, the temperature disappearing from the screen to be replaced by the word "Preheating."

That done, Serenity headed back to the island and began measuring out her ingredients so that she wouldn't constantly have to stop while she was making the mixture to do so. That was one thing she had learned from watching Grandmother Ikuko and Makoto bake in the twentieth century, and she never forgot it. It was always a good idea to have your ingredients already measured out before you began any type of baking. Luckily, the measurements were simple, so she didn't have to do any complicated math.

She was then ready to begin.

In a large bowl, Serenity poured in one and a half cups of sugar, half a cup of softened butter, and half a cup of shortening. She then cracked her two eggs, carefully making sure she didn't get any shells in the mixture. She definitely didn't want to make that mistake again, cringing at the memory of her first disastrous attempt at baking.

After that was done, she plugged in the electric mixture and began on her favorite part of baking, beating the mixture. While she was doing that, she also stirred in two and three/fourths cups of the flour, two tablespoons of cream of tartar, one tablespoon of baking soda, and a fourth of a tablespoon of salt.

When the dough was finished, she pulled out a smaller bowl and mixed together a fourth of a cup of sugar and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. She then began molding the dough into uniformly sized balls and rolled them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, placing each one about two inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet, which she then put in the oven.

Jupiter's recipe said they were to bake for about eight to ten minutes, but Serenity had always liked her cookies a little on the crisp side, so she left them in the oven a little while longer. Because of that, they ended up a little burnt on the bottom, but otherwise looked okay. After she had let them cool, Serenity wrapped the batch up in one of her bunny-printed handkerchiefs, tying it close with a gold ribbon, and happily headed out into the royal gardens where she and Helios had agreed to meet when he arrived.

_I hope he enjoys these cookies_, Serenity thought to herself as she waited by the largest fountain for him to arrive.

As usual, Helios was right on time, arriving in the gardens at two o'clock sharp. Running over to him, she gave him a hug and a passionate kiss on the lips, so happy to see him again. They didn't get to see each other much due to their respective duties as the priest of Elysion and crown princess of Crystal Tokyo, so whatever time they did get together was always extra special.

"Oh, how I've missed you!" Serenity exclaimed. "It feels like forever since they last time you've visited me."

"I'm sorry, my maiden. Things have been busy in Elysion lately, but you'll be happy to know that I can stay for the rest of the weekend."

"Really? That's wonderful, Helios!" Serenity hugged him again, completely forgetting about the bundle of cookies in her hand until they both heard the cookies crack as the bundle accidentally fell from her hand onto the ground. "Oh, no!" she cried. "Your gift!"

"A gift, for me?" Helios asked, bending down to pick up the bundle. "What is it? May I open it?"

Serenity nodded, and Helios undid the bow holding the bundle close to reveal the broken burnt cookies inside.

"I made them all by myself," Serenity said proudly. "I admit they aren't the prettiest cookies, especially broken up like that, but it is one of Jupiter's recipes, so they should be really good."

"You mean you didn't taste one yourself?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he held up one of the broken cookies and inspected the first piece.

"No, I wanted you to have the first taste. So?"

"Oh, right!" Bringing the cookie to his lips, Helios took a hesitant bite. "Well…it certainly is…interesting," he commented after swallowing. "I have to say I never ate a snickerdoodle quite like that one."

"Really? Let me have one, then." Serenity started to reach for one to try, surprised when Helios suddenly yanked the rest of the cookies away from her. "Hey!"

"I thought you made these for me," he said.

"I did, but certainly you can share one with me, the one who put her heart and soul into making them for you."

"Well… Okay, if you really want one…"

After a short pause, he brought the bundle back out and allowed Serenity to take one of the larger pieces. Taking a bite of the cookie, Serenity immediately made a face.

"These are terrible!" she cried, spitting it out onto the ground. "Yuck!"

"I tried to stop you from trying them," Helios said with an apologetic shrug.

"But I followed Jupiter's recipe exactly, except for keeping them in the oven longer than she recommended. Burning them, though, shouldn't make the taste this awful…"

Serenity pulled out the recipe which she was still carrying around in her pocket and looked over it one more time, trying to figure out where she went wrong. When she finally found her mistake, she felt like smacking herself in the head.

"Oh, no, I used tablespoons when I was supposed to use teaspoons and teaspoons when I was supposed to use tablespoons! I can't believe I did that!"

Placing the rest of the cookies in his pocket, Helios gave her a hug. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Serenity. Anybody could have made the same mistake."

"But I wanted so badly for the cookies to come out perfect…"

"They were perfect, because they were made by you."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.

By the way, this is a real recipe, if anybody actually wants to make some snickerdoodles. I got it out of one of my mom's _Betty Crocker_ cookbooks. All instructions are correct, other than the measurements Serenity messed up. It should be two teaspoons of cream of tartar, one teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of cinnamon for the cinnamon-sugar covering. Don't do what she did and mix up teaspoons and tablespoons!


	8. The Meaning of Bravery

Title: The Meaning of Bravery

Theme: Bravery

Genre: General

Version: Anime

Rating: G

The Meaning of Bravery

She is the bravest person I have ever met.

Of course, she will insist otherwise, saying that she's always scared whenever she goes into battle or finds herself in a tough situation, but isn't that true of all brave people? After all, if a fearless person puts himself or herself in the line of danger, isn't that more akin to stupidity, rather than bravery?

No, a true hero -- or in my maiden's case, heroine -- is the one who is afraid to lose it all, yet who does it anyway, because they know in their heart that it is the right thing to do. They don't let their fear overwhelm them; they use that fear to their advantage, knowing that fear is a true motivator. My maiden will do anything to protect the people she loves, and that is one of the things I love most about her.

But her bravery is so much more than that. In some ways, it can be easier to be brave when your life or the life of someone you love is in danger. When people think about bravery, they don't think of the smaller, more insignificant ways a person can show courage.

Our first meeting comes to mind. There I was, in the form of a talking, mythological Pegasus, asking her to help me though I kept many secrets from her, yet she trusted me right from the start, her faith in my goodness never wavering. Even I didn't completely trust her at first, thinking if I said too much, she might accidentally say something to the wrong person and put herself in danger, but to her, I was instantly her friend, and she put her trust wholeheartedly in me, an act of bravery that I will always remember even if some people might think not of it as much.

Love, too, is an act of bravery, and, in some ways, it can be the bravest act of all. To love means to give all of yourself to another person, the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, and for many people, that can be a very frightening thing. I know it was that way for me. In Elysion, I didn't have any close friends, or even companions, so I was not accustomed to sharing any part of myself, even the most basic details, with anybody, another reason why I waited so long to tell my maiden the truth of who I really was. She, however, let me be privy to her innermost thoughts and desires during our nightly chats, private things she didn't even share with her friends and family. I'm still amazed by her openness with me, and I do my best to follow her example, although sometimes I'm still a coward in that regard.

I still have a long way to go before I can consider myself a truly brave person, but my maiden is my inspiration, a true heroine in every sense of the word.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal..


	9. Caught

Title: Caught

Theme: Inside Out

Genre: Romance/Humor

Version: Manga

Rating: R

Caught

"Good morning, maiden."

Her eyes fluttering open, Serenity smiled as she rolled over and found herself staring into the most beautiful pair of golden eyes she had ever seen in her life. "Good morning," she said, brushing a strand of silver hair out of his face.

"Sleep well?"

"Very." Propping herself up on her elbow, Serenity looked over her lover's shoulder at the digital alarm clock on her nightstand. It read 9:22. "You must have really tired me out last night," she chuckled, snuggling again underneath her blankets. "I'm usually up by 8:30. Thank goodness today is a weekend. If not, Diana would have been in here right on the dot to wake me up for my lessons with Mercury."

"If that is the case, perhaps I should be leaving," Helios suggested, sitting up and turning so that his bare legs dangled off the bed. "I definitely don't want to be caught by Diana or anybody else like this."

Not wanting him to leave just yet, Serenity reached over and grabbed his arm. "No, don't go," she said. "Mama always sleeps in late on the weekends, so we usually have a late brunch instead of breakfast. Nobody will come up here until at least ten at the earliest."

"Are you sure?" he asked, although he was already getting back into bed, pulling Serenity on top of him.

She smiled, feeling his arousal. "Positive."

Determined to make the best of the little time they had left alone, Serenity began landing light kisses on his lightly-defined pectorals, occasionally stopping to twirl her tongue around his sensitive nipples, a move that always made Helios hiss in desire. His soft hands roamed up and down her back and buttocks, and when she felt herself suitably aroused, Serenity started rocking against him, moaning in pleasure as a familiar pressure began building up inside her, longing to be released.

When she was near her peak, however, Serenity suddenly stopped. "Did you hear that?" she asked, sitting up right.

Helios, surprised by her abrupt stop, shook his head. "Hear what?"

Serenity glanced over at her bedroom door. "I'm not sure. I could have sworn I heard a giggle. A female giggle, that wasn't mine."

"A giggle? It was probably just your imagination, Serenity."

She wasn't so sure about that, but if Helios hadn't heard it, then maybe she had just imagined it. It certainly was quiet now. Deciding to put it out of her mind, Serenity resumed where they had left off, only to stop once again when the giggles returned.

Now it sounded like there were at least two of them, maybe more, and Helios definitely heard them as well. "What is that?" he asked.

"I don't know," Serenity admitted, shaking her head as she dismounted him, "but I think maybe you should go."

"That's probably a good idea." Tossing the blanket aside, he reached down for his boxers and pants and began putting them on. "Where is my shirt?" he asked.

Serenity spotted it near the balcony and got up to get it for him. "Here you go," she said, tossing it to him and grabbing her own discarded nightgown from the floor. "Hurry up!"

Once they were both dressed, Serenity opened the doors leading out to the balcony so that Helios could sneak out without being seen by whoever was outside her door. He gave her one last, lingering goodbye kiss, and with the promise to come back the next weekend, he left, climbing down a nearby sakura tree, bare of its trademark blossoms.

When she was certain Helios had made it down safely, Serenity closed the balcony doors and headed to her bedroom door to give the eavesdroppers a piece of her mind.

"Whoever is out there, I --"

Four Sailor Senshi with strange, whimsical hairstyles froze in place as Serenity swung open the door, each one holding a glass in her hand and wearing a guilty look on their faces.

"Ceres! Vesta! Juno! Palla!

As she said each of their names, her guardian senshi stood at attention, quickly hiding their glasses behind their backs even though Serenity had already seen them.

"G-Good morning, Your Highness," Ceres, the leader, said, giving a little curtsy.

"What are you four doing here?" Serenity demanded to know, folding he arms across her chest and glaring at the quartet.

"Uh…"

The four looked at each other, then solely at Sailor Pallas, who was blushing the brightest of all.

"Well, it was like this, Serenity-sama," Pallas began, unable to look Serenity in the eye. "Pallas was patrolling the hall like Pallas is supposed to, when Pallas heard a noise coming from Serenity-sama's room. It sounded like somebody was hurting her, so I called Vesta."

"When I got there, however, I realized that the moaning Palla had heard wasn't because you were in pain," the red-haired senshi continued, also looking down at the door. "We called the other two over, and, well…"

"You eavesdropped on me," Serenity said, completing Vesta's sentence for her.

"Yeah, but it was just so funny!" Juno offered as if that was any kind of an excuse for their behavior. She then proceeded to imitate some of what they heard in the same breathy voice Serenity had used. "Oh, Helios, Helios… Oh, that feels so good! Touch me there… Faster! Faster! Faster!"

Serenity blushed a bright red, never more mortified in her entire life, and Pallas and Ceres giggled, immediately slapping a hand over their mouths.

So they must have been the two gigglers she heard before…

"We're sorry, Serenity-sama," Vesta apologized. "We won't do it again. Promise!"

"Make sure that you don't," Serenity said, mustering up as much dignity as she could after that embarrassing display. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going down to the dining room for brunch."

She proceeded to move past her guardians and started to walk down the hall when Ceres stopped her with a tap on her shoulder, the others snickering for some reason Serenity could not see.

"Um…Serenity-sama?"

"Yes?"

"I don't think you want to go down dressed like that. Maybe you should go change," Ceres suggested.

"Why not? Nobody goes down to brunch dressed on the weekend."

"Your nightgown is inside-out."

It just was not her day.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	10. A Pleasant Surprise

Title: A Pleasant Surprise

Theme: Cancelled

Genre: Romance

Version: Manga

Rating: PG

A Pleasant Surprise

Princess Lady Serenity hummed a happy little tune to herself as she browsed through her wardrobe of beautiful dresses, trying to find the right one. Tonight, Helios was taking her out to dinner, and she wanted their date to be absolutely perfect.

Selecting a form-fitting, strapless black gown that flared out at the bottom into a mermaid hemline, she laid it out on her bed and started to take off her robe to get dressed when she heard her bedroom door open. Serenity quickly pulled the robe close again and turned around to lecture the intruder, only to see that it was her guardian cat Diana, who had seen her naked plenty of times before. She sighed in relief.

"Don't scare me like that, Diana!" Serenity exclaimed. "I thought you were a peeping Tom."

"Sorry, Your Highness," the gray cat apologized as Serenity went over to her dresser and pulled out a matching lacy bra-and-panty set. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Serenity asked, struggling with the clasp of her strapless bra. "Oh, why must these things be such a pain to put on?!"

"Are you paying attention to me?"

"Yes, of course. Just spill it already. Helios is supposed to be here at seven, and I still haven't even done my hair."

Diana jumped on Serenity's bed and sighed. "Actually, that's what I wanted to tell you," she said. "Helios-sama isn't going to be able to make it tonight."

"What?" That certainly caught Serenity's attention. "What do mean he isn't able to come?"

"He sent this letter that explains everything."

Diana did a backflip in the air, and a folded piece of paper landed on Serenity's comforter. She immediately snatched it up and began to read.

_Dearest maiden,_

_I know you were looking forward to our date tonight, but I'm afraid I have to cancel. I sprained my ankle this afternoon in a freak accident. It isn't too bad, but I'm supposed to keep off of it for at least a couple of days. I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as it is healed._

_Helios_

Serenity sighed, folding the paper back up and tossing it on her nightstand. Poor Helios. So much for their romantic dinner…

Or was it?

"Diana, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it, Your Highness?" the cat asked.

"Go down to the kitchen and have the one of the chefs prepare a couple of obento boxes," Serenity said, hanging her black dress back up in the closet and pulling out a simpler pink sundress.

"Obento boxes?"

Serenity grinned, pulling the dress over her head. "If Helios can't make it for our dinner, then dinner will come to him."

* * *

"Are you comfortable, Helios-sama?"

Helios nodded, giving Aurora, one of his faithful shrine maidens, a grateful smile. "Yes, thank you."

"Do you need anything else before I go? Some water, an extra pillow, anything?"

"I'm fine, Aurora. You and Eos have taken good care of me."

"I still can't believe you fell from Pegasus," she said with a frown. "It isn't like you at all."

Helios sheepishly shrugged. He couldn't quite believe it either. "Even experienced riders can have accidents. We're not immune from the occasional mistake."

"Well, I'm glad all you suffered was a sprained ankle."

"Me, too, although I hated having to cancel on Serenity," he said, sighing. "I know she was really looking forward to tonight."

"I'm sure she'll understand. Anyway, I'll let you get some rest. If you need anything, just ring that bell, okay?" She nodded over to the bell sitting on the nightstand beside his bed.

"I will. Thanks."

With that, Aurora left, and Helios reached for one of the books Eos had brought for him earlier from the library to read. Halfway through the second chapter, however, he heard a soft knock on the door. Turning down the corner of the page he was on to mark his spot, Helios closed the book and set it aside.

"Aurora? Eos?"

"Guess again," a familiar melodic voice rang out before its owner swung open the door. "Surprise!"

A smile instantly came to lips when he saw who it was. "Serenity!"

His maiden came inside, her hands hidden behind her back. "How are you feeling?" she asked, concern in her ruby red eyes when she saw his wrapped ankle propped up on a pillow. "Does it hurt?"

"A little," he admitted, grimacing as he pulled himself so that he was sitting fully upright in his bed. "Mostly when I move it."

Serenity sat whatever it was that she was hiding behind her back on the floor and quickly help place another pillow behind him. "Then don't move, silly," she lightly scolded as she sat on the edge of the mattress, and he smiled.

"What are you doing here, maiden? Didn't you get my letter?"

"Yes, I did. That's why I'm here." Reaching down, she grabbed whatever she had been hiding and held it up to reveal that it was two large obento boxes, wrapped in a bunny-printed kerchief. "Ta-ta-da! Dinner is served!" she said, unwrapping the boxes and handing one to him.

"What is this?" he asked, his eyes widening when he saw the food.

"Well, I thought it was a shame that you weren't able to come to Crystal Tokyo for our dinner, so I thought this was the next best thing," she explained. "We might not have candlelight and violin serenades, but that doesn't mean we can't have a romantic night anyway. Right?"

He smiled. "Right."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	11. Secret Admirer

Title: Secret Admirer

Theme: Red

Genre: Romance

Version: Anime

Rating: G

Secret Admirer

Red roses.

Dozens upon dozens all around her bedroom.

Serenity's eyes widened in shock as she took it all in. It was almost as if she was in the middle of her own private rose garden.

"Where did these come from?" she asked her faithful guardian cat Diana, who looked as surprised as she did.

"I-I have no idea, my lady," Diana said with a shake of her head. "They must have come in while you were at your lessons.

"They certainly are beautiful…"

Plucking one of the blood red blooms for a nearby arrangement, Serenity brought it to her nose and took in the sweet scent. It was then that she noticed the small red envelope practically hidden among the blossoms.

"Look, there's a note," she said, taking the envelope and opening it with her fingernail.

"What does it say?"

After slipping out the card inside, Serenity read it aloud: "These roses can't hold a candle to your beauty, although they certainly come close. I will be holding the last one at tonight's ball. I hope you will accept it. Love, Your Secret Admirer."

"A secret admirer? Who do you think it could be?" Diana asked.

Serenity placed the note back in the envelope and shrugged. Suddenly, she wasn't quite as excited about the flowers as she was before. "Your guess is as good as mine, Diana. Ever since my parents decreed I was old enough to receive suitors, men have been sending me gifts like they were going out of style. I have to say that this is one of the more elaborate ones, though."

"Will you meet with him at the ball?"

"Probably not," Serenity said, falling back on her bed and sighing. To please her parents, she had been making a half-hearted attempt at dating, but the truth was, only one man was destined to be the Prince Charming of whom she always dreamed, and none of her suitors could ever possibly take his place.

"You know, Serenity-sama, he may have forgotten about you," Diana gently suggested. "After all, to you, it's been only a few years since you returned to from the past, but you have to realize over a thousand years have passed for him."

Serenity shook her head. "Helios wouldn't have forgotten me," she insisted. She had to believe that. His promise that they would someday see each other again had been one of the only things that made his absence in her life bearable.

Sitting back up, Serenity opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out the bell Helios had given her to call him while they were fighting Queen Nehelenia and the Dead Moon Circus. It had broken for no real reason right after the final battle, but she still rang it, anyway, the words "Twinkle Yell" on her lips.

Of course, as had happened all the other times she had tried it, he didn't come. Frowning, Serenity put the bell back in the drawer and stood up.

"Well, I guess I'll go take a bath and get ready for the ball."

* * *

The Crystal Ball was held every year to celebrate the founding of Crystal Tokyo, one of the most elaborate events of the year. Everyone from servant to noble was invited to join in the jubilee, and it was usually one of Serenity's favorite balls.

This year, however, she couldn't really enjoy it. It seemed like every eligible bachelor in Crystal Tokyo wanted to have a dance with her, and she had the blisters on her feet to prove it. When she finally got a break during the traditional Moonlight Dance between her parents, Serenity snuck out onto one of the empty balconies and slipped out of her high-heeled ruby slippers.

"Ah, that feels good," she said to herself, leaning against the balcony railing and looking up the starry sky.

At least she hadn't had to deal with her "secret admirer," who apparently never showed up. Out of mild curiosity, Serenity had looked around the ballroom for a man holding a red rose, but she never saw him. He must have been too shy to show his face.

She wondered what Helios was doing at that very moment. If he had been there, she would have gladly danced through the pain if it meant she could be in his arms again.

Turning around to rest her elbows on the railing, Serenity shook her head. She had to stop doing this to herself. Helios had not come, and she had to accept that.

Upon hearing the applause signaling the end of her parents' spotlight dance, Serenity slipped back into her shoes and was about to go back inside for another endless round of dances when somebody came up behind her, his arm outstretched so that she could see the perfect red rose he held in his hand. Serenity froze as the man asked, "Will you accept my rose, maiden?"

_Maiden?_ It couldn't be him, could it?

Her heart pounding, Serenity slowly turned around, her face breaking out into a smile when her suspicions were confirmed.

"Helios!" she exclaimed, instantly falling into his arms. "I can't believe it's you! You were my secret admirer?"

"Not-so-secret anymore," he said, smiling as he held the rose again out to her. "Now, you didn't answer my question. Will you accept this rose?"

Serenity didn't have to pause to think about it.

"Yes, yes, and a thousand times yes!"

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	12. The Wrong One

Title: The Wrong One

Theme: Found

Genre: General

Version: Manga

Rating: G

The Wrong One

'_A princess, yet a soldier, protected by moonlight, a maiden with a beautiful dream… The chosen maiden who holds the crystal that shall melt the seal of the Golden Crystal…'_

Helios' words kept echoing in my head as I tried to fall asleep that night. I was so happy when he told me I was the maiden he had been looking for, but had he truly found her? Was I really the one who possessed the powers to break the seal on the Golden Crystal he was so desperate to find? Or had he made a mistake?

After all, as a senshi-in-training, I had very little power. My ginzuishou was still weak and immature compared to the one Usagi possessed, and I wondered how it could possibly be powerful enough to break the seal on the Golden Crystal, whatever it was. If anyone had the necessary power to save Helios and Elysion, it was Usagi, not me.

Yet, despite my doubts, a part of me refused to admit that Helios might have made a mistake. Why couldn't I be the maiden? Usagi always got everything -- the strongest powers, the most wonderful friends, and the handsome prince -- yet what was so special about her? Really? Immediately, I felt guilty for having such thoughts, but I had to admit sometimes I was jealous of her.

I just wanted to feel like the special one for once; was that such a terrible thing?

Tossing my blanket aside -- well, actually Usagi's blanket, since she and I had traded rooms for the night -- I went over to the mirror hanging above a chest of drawers. My reflection showed a pretty teenage girl with long pink hair and a knockout body, but none of it was real, the result of a spell the Dead Moon Circus had put on me and Usagi to switch our ages. Inside, I was nothing but a pathetic little girl who had a long way to go before she could call herself a lady like her mother, Usagi's future self, and a tear streaked down my cheek as the realization hit me.

"I'm not the one he was looking for. I never was."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	13. Falling to Pieces

Title: Falling to Pieces

Theme: Crumble

Genre: Angst

Version: Animanga

Rating: PG

Falling to Pieces

Every time I look at you, I feel like I want to cry.

You're a broken man now, so different from the person I fell in love with all those years ago. The light has gone from those beautiful golden eyes of yours, and I know you haven't slept for days, because I haven't either.

I guess we've both changed in that regard. It was inevitable, I suppose. How could an experience like that not change us?

But why won't you let me share in your grief? You've barely said a hundred words to me since the funeral. I'm in pain, too, yet you act as if I don't even exist to you any more.

Maybe I don't. You haven't said as much, but I know you blame me for her death. You blame me for not being strong enough to save her with my powers, but if I could have, I would have gladly exchanged my life for hers. She was so young -- still a baby really -- with so much life left to live.

I still can't believe she's gone.

My sweet Yumemi…

It wasn't, and isn't, fair. Parents are the ones who are supposed to die before their children, not the other way around. There's a humongous hole in my heart that I know will never completely heal, but if I lose you as well…

Speak to me. Say something, anything.

Yell at me. Curse me. Tell me I was a terrible mother.

Whisper to me. Comfort me. Tell me that you still love me.

Touch me.

Just do something, because this wall standing between us is too unbearable, too cruel. Our lives have already fallen apart, but, if we support each other, maybe we can put some semblance of a life back together, maybe find some kind of happiness. It won't be the same -- nothing will ever be the same without her in our lives -- but I don't want to spend the rest of my life like this.

Please…

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	14. Written in the Tea Leaves

Title: Written in the Tea Leaves

Theme: Tea

Genre: Romance/Humor

Version: Animanga

Rating: PG

Written in the Tea Leaves

"Hey, let me do a tasseography reading on you."

Taking a final sip of his cup of peppermint tea, Helios raised an eyebrow as he looked across the table at his beloved maiden. "A tasseography reading?"

"You know, reading tea leaves," she said, already reaching for his cup.

"Hey, what if I wasn't finished with that?" he playfully scolded her as she took the cup from his hands. "And I do know what a tasseography reading is. I just didn't know you did."

"Sailor Mars has been teaching me," Serenity explained, rotating his cup three times, then turning it over on a saucer to get rid of any extra liquid that might be left. "She says I have a gift for it."

"Really?"

"You don't believe me?"

"It's more like I've never been a fan of these supposed 'fortune-telling' methods," Helios admitted, taking a couple of chocolate cookies from the large plate in between them and placing them on his now empty saucer. Sailor Jupiter had made them specially for their afternoon tea, and they were delicious. "No offense to Mars-sama, but things like reading the future in tea leaves and tarot cards sound like a lot of mumbo-jumbo nonsense to me."

"I wouldn't say that. The last reading I did came true."

"What did you predict?"

"That you and I would have tea in the gardens this afternoon," she said, a triumphant smile on her face.

Helios resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course that came true, Serenity. You were the one who invited me," he gently reminded her instead.

"I just invited you for tea. You were the one who suggested we have it outside in the gardens."

"But we always have tea in the gar--" Not wanting to burst her bubble, Helios stopped mid-sentence and sighed. If she really wanted to believe that she had correctly foretold the future, what was the harm in that? "Okay, what do the tea leaves say?" he asked, humoring her.

"Lessee…"

After setting the plate of cookies aside, Serenity placed his cup in the center of the table so that they could both see inside. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and a bit of her tongue peaked out from the corner of her mouth as she leaned over for a better look.

"You know, you look really cute like that," Helios couldn't resist saying, laughing when she looked up to glare at him.

"I'm _trying _to concentrate, Helios!"

"Sorry, sorry! Do you see anything thing yet?"

Serenity looked back down into a cup. "I see…a sheep," she said after a short pause. "The first symbol you see is supposed to be the person's dominant character."

"And what does a sheep mean?"

"That you are a calm and peaceful person, which is true."

"I thought you were supposed to be reading my future," Helios said with a frown, "not analyzing my personality."

"I'm getting to that," Serenity replied with a dismissive wave of her hand as she took another look into the cup. "Ah, there's a rose near the rim. That means a deepening of love." She smiled. "I like the sound of that."

Helios looked at the spot where she was pointing. "I don't know… It looks more like a small and fluffy cloud to me, Serenity."

"Well, clouds are nice, too. They mean happy optimism," she said, looking for more symbols in the scattered tea leaves. "Oh, there's a horseshoe. I bet you can guess what that means."

"Good luck?" he guessed.

"Correct. It's in the middle section of the cup, which means that good luck is coming to you soon. I also see what appears to be a piece of cake, which means that a wish will be fulfilled, and there will be a celebration."

Hearing that, Helios nearly choked on the cookie he had just put in his mouth. She couldn't possibly…

"Helios, are you okay?" she asked, looking up at him with concern in her ruby red eyes.

"I'm fine," he insisted, patting his pocket to feel the small box inside. He was being silly. Serenity couldn't possibly be able to figure out his secret surprise by something as crazy as reading tea leaves. "What else do the leaves say?"

"Well, I can see a sun, which means a new beginning, and there's a heart, another symbol that's easy to guess the meaning," Serenity continued, pointing out the respective shapes in the tea leaves. "That over here --" She pointed to a grouping that looked like a mountain range to him. "-- looks kind of like a burning fire."

Her face suddenly turned a bright red.

"What does that mean?" Helios asked, confused by her reaction.

"Uh… Fire means passion, hot emotion…sexual desires."

Helios felt his face grow hot as well. "I-It might not be a fire," he stuttered. "I think it looks more like a couple of mountains, personally."

"Well, mountains symbolize a difficult, but possible, goal."

"What goal?"

Serenity shrugged her shoulders. "Something that's related to the other symbols," she said, her brows again furrowing together. "It seems like whatever it is, you will achieve it. All the other symbols point to positive things: good luck, happy optimism, a celebration due to a wish being fulfilled, a new beginning, love… Oh!"

"What? What is it?" Despite himself, Helios' heart began to beat a little faster.

"There's a circle on the base of the cup. That means you will definitely have success in whatever your goal is," she explained, cocking her head to the side. "But it almost looks kind of like a ring as well, with that little grouping of leaves at the top that almost looks like a jewel."

"What do you think it means, then?"

"The ring symbol is usually associated with, well, obviously marriage, but-- Helios?"

Helios' eyes widened, and he took the cup away from her for a better look inside. They had disagreed on what some of the symbols were supposed to be, but even he had to admit that the circle on the base did look amazingly like a diamond engagement ring. But how…?

"Helios, is something wrong?" Serenity asked.

He chuckled, sitting the cup back down on the table. "Forgive me for doubting you, Serenity," he said. "You truly do have a gift for tasseography."

"I don't quite understand. I haven't even come to a conclu--"

Standing up, Helios reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny blue velvet box. "I was actually planning to do this tonight, but since the element of surprise has been ruined, I think I better do this now," he said, Serenity staring at him with a look of confusion and expectation on her face as he kneeled down in front of her and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful rose-cut diamond set in an intricate gold antique ring setting. "Maiden, I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Serenity gasped, and, taking the ring out of the box, she placed it on the ring finger of her left hand. "It's beautiful, Helios," she whispered, tenderly pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen in his face before bending down to kiss him on the cheek.

"Of course I'll marry you."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	15. Help Me, Maiden

Title: Help Me, Maiden

Theme: Help

Genre: General/Drama

Version: Manga

Rating: PG

Help Me, Maiden

For as long as he could remember, every day as the sun began to set, Helios had gone up to the praying tower in the center of the shrine of Elysion to pray and meditate. Occasionally, he received visions, but those types of revelations were few and far between, and he did not expect to see one that night, despite the sense of foreboding that had taken over him for the last few days.

All was not well in Elysion. A darkness had begun infecting the beautiful dream world. The once-thriving plant life was dying, replaced by desert and ugly black roses, and Helios was constantly coughing up black blood, his sickness an apparent effect of Elysion's condition. He didn't understand what was happening, but he used as much of his weakening power supply as he could spare to pray for Elysion and the Earth's protection from whatever it was that they were fighting against.

However, it was becoming obvious that his prayers alone weren't strong enough to combat the cursed darkness. As Helios kneeled down in front of the tower that night, he prayed fervently for help, surprised when a vision of a beautiful woman appeared before him.

Like the rest of his visions, the figure was completely transparent and mostly colorless. Her hair was long, though, pulled back into a distinctive hairstyle, and a brilliant golden crescent moon was tattooed on her forehead, the only thing of color he could see.

"Helios," she said, her voice melodic, but urgent, "the time has come to break the seal on the Golden Crystal." 

"The Golden Crystal?" Helios repeated, confused. The Golden Crystal had been the royal jewel of Earth's ruling family, passed down from generation to generation, but the crystal had disappeared with the death of the last heir, Prince Endymion, during the war with Beryl that had brought the downfall of the Golden Kingdom. At least that was what Helios had assumed, but, if indeed, the crystal could be found, its power would certainly be enough to restore Elysion back to normal. "Where is it?" he demanded to know. "How can I break the seal?"

"Elysion is about to face its toughest trial yet," the woman continued. "I cannot tell you much more, other than to assure you that the maiden is always on your side."

"Maiden?"

"A princess, yet a soldier, protected by moonlight, with a beautiful dream… She is the maiden who possesses the power that will break the seal on the Golden Crystal."

"Who is she?" Helios asked, desperate when he saw the vision about to fade. "Is she you? Who are you?"

"I am…Princess Lady Serenity…"

With those final faint words, the vision disappeared, and Helios sighed, frustrated by the lack of information she had given him. His revelations were always rather vague, but the impending danger made it that much more important that he find this maiden, whoever she was, and break the seal on the Golden Crystal before it was too late. How was he supposed to do that with so little to go on, though? He didn't even know if Princess Lady Serenity was supposed to be the maiden, or if she was just a messenger.

Deciding to check out the shrine's library to see if he could find any other information about Princess Lady Serenity and the Golden Crystal, Helios started to stand, but quickly collapsed, overcome by another bloody coughing fit, even worse than the others. His heart felt as if it was being squeezed from the inside, and the feeling of foreboding he felt deepened to outright fear.

"I have…to find…the maiden," he said between coughing fits, struggling to stand back up. "She must…break the seal…"

A sinister laugh rang out, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight. "Oh, my, look at the weak little priest of Elysion," a deep feminine voice said, coming from behind him. "He can't even stand up. Whatever will he do?"

Helios used all the strength he could to turn around, anger filling his heart when he saw the dark woman standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the praying tower. He had never seen her before, but Helios knew instinctively that she was the one behind the evilness infecting Elysion.

"Who are…you, and…what do…you want?" he asked, still struggling to stand.

"Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I am Queen Nehelenia of the Dead Moon, soon to be queen of your precious Earth. As you might have guessed, I was the one who put the curse on Elysion. You really should have been more observant, Priest Helios." The dark queen shook her head. "Maybe if you had, you might have had a chance to stop me before it was too late."

"It's not too late. Once I find the --" Helios stopped himself just in time, realizing that it would not be a good idea if she found out about the existence of the Golden Crystal. She might be tempted to look for it herself.

"Find the what?" Nehelenia prodded, not overly concerned when he refused to answer. "Oh, well, it's not important. You see, Helios, I've already won. With Elysion's power significantly weakened, my minions have already infiltrated the Earth. It is only a matter of time before Earth is covered in nightmares as well."

"No…" It couldn't be! His prayers hadn't been enough to protect Earth?

"I'm not the type of woman who is overly confident in her victory to the point of stupidity, however," the queen continued on as if he hadn't said anything at all. "That's why I'm here. You may be just a weakling priest with no real hope of defeating me, but I can't have you walking around free, interfering in my plans. How would like to become my little pet?"

Speaking a language Helios did not recognize, she pointed a finger toward him, and a beam of dark power shot straight at him. Though Helios tried to dodge it, he was still too weak, and the beam hit him in the back, transforming him into a winged uniform trapped in a gilded cage.

"I always did want a Pegasus," Nehelenia cooed, running her hands along the golden bars.

Helios charged toward her in an attempt to break out, only to receive a painful shock when he touched the bars. He cried out in agony, and Nehelenia cackled, obviously enjoying the show.

"You might as well save your strength, horsie. There's nothing you can do to break out of there," she said. "Now, be a good boy while I'm gone. I need to check on our progress, but I'll be back."

With that warning, the dark queen left, and Helios collapsed on the floor of the cage, completely spent. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't look for the maiden while imprisoned, but if he didn't do something, Earth would almost certainly fall under Nehelenia's evil rule. There had to be some way to escape from the cage.

Helios tried every possibility he could think of to no avail. No matter what he did, the bars always shocked him. He was about to give up for the night and rest when he suddenly remembered his skill in astral projection. Even if his physical body wasn't able to escape, it was possible that he could send his spirit out to search for the maiden.

"It's a long-shot, and I don't have a lot of strength right now, but it may just work," he said, closing his eyes and concentrating on the vision he had received from Princess Lady Serenity.

He soon felt his spiritual self rise out of his body, flying to a place he did not recognize. For the briefest of moments, he saw a group of three people: a handsome man, a pretty teenager, and a young girl. Both girls wore their hair in the same unique style as the woman in his vision, but before he could say much more than "Help me, maiden," he was back in his body, his power depleted.

Helios sighed, wishing he had been able to stay longer, but he was almost certain that one of those girls he had seen was the maiden Princess Lady Serenity spoke of. Closing his eyes, he vowed to return when he had regained some of his strength. With her help, there would still be hope to defeat Nehelenia before it was too late.

_Help me, maiden_, he prayed.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	16. On Her Wedding Day

Title: On Her Wedding Day

Theme: Emotional

Version: Anime

Genre: Romance

Rating: G

On Her Wedding Day

The day she had dreamed of for so long had finally arrived.

Princess Lady Serenity smiled at her reflection in the mirror, unable to contain her excitement. Though her mother had warned her it was perfectly normal for a bride to feel a little nervous before the big event, Serenity could honestly say she hadn't felt even the flutter of a butterfly in her stomach. That was how certain she was of her love for Helios, and she couldn't wait to become his wife.

Her bridesmaids, consisting of her four guardian soldiers, had already left to get ready for the processional, so Serenity had the dressing room to herself. For the few final touches to her ensemble, she put on the gifts they had given her before they left: a pair of antique pearl earrings from Ceres, a lacy garter from Juno, a diamond hairpin Vesta had let her borrow, and a blue ribbon from Pallas, which Serenity tied around her bouquet of red roses. She then smoothed a few non-existent wrinkles out of her silk strapless dress and straightened the tiara attached to her veil until she was completely satisfied.

"Perfect."

"I agree," a familiar masculine voice said.

Turning around, Serenity's smile widened when she saw her father at the door, looking as handsome as ever in the tuxedo he used to wear as Tuxedo Kamen. "Papa!"

"Kami-sama, you look beautiful," he said, coming further in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "So much like your mother on our wedding day. I can't believe our Small Lady is getting married."

Serenity rolled her eyes. "Oh, Papa, I'm hardly a Small Lady anymore. Will you and Mama ever stop calling me that?"

"Probably not," he chuckled. "To us, you will always be our Small Lady. Nothing will ever change that, not even this wedding today. Speaking of which, I do believe it is about time that we take a little walk. Ready?"

Serenity nodded and took the arm he offered her. "More than you can ever know."

He smiled. "I think I do."

With that, they left the dressing room, heading to the doors leading to the ceremonial room of Elysion's shrine, where the wedding would take place. Ceres, the final remaining bridesmaid, whispered a hurried "Good luck," before the wedding coordinator gave her the thumbs up to begin her walk down the aisle.

While they waited for their turn, her father pulled the veil over Serenity's face and kissed her one more time. "I love you, Usagi," he said, his voice sounding a little raspy and strained as he struggled to hold back the tears Serenity could see forming even through the gauziness of her veil and the blurriness of her own teary-eyed vision. "Always remember that. Helios may be the man you are going to spend the rest of your life with, but I loved you first, and always."

Serenity squeezed his arm and rested her head on her shoulders. "I love you, too, Papa."

Just then, they heard the traditional Wedding March begin, signaling the start of their procession. The large, golden doors swung open, and all the guests rose from their seats to turn their attention to her, although Serenity only had eyes for the handsome groom waiting for her at the altar. She felt as if she was floating on air as she and her father walked down the aisle, and the feeling did not stop when her father gave her to Helios and the two of them stepped up to the altar.

Throughout the ceremony, Serenity did not take her eyes off her husband-to-be for a second, his voice so full of love and emotion as they made their eternal vows to each other and exchanged rings. She teared up more than once, but somehow managed to keep the tears of happiness from rolling down her face and ruining her make-up. By the time the priest performing the ceremony announced that they were husband and wife, Serenity thought she would burst if she didn't kiss Helios and didn't even wait for her new husband to make the first move, causing many of the guests to chuckle at her impatience.

Serenity didn't care, however. She had never been happier in her entire life, and she wanted the entire world to know it.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	17. Birthdays and Baseballs

Title: Birthdays and Baseballs

Theme: "Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." -- James Baldwin

Version: Anime

Genre: General

Rating: PG-13

Birthday and Baseballs

Today was her 21st birthday.

Normally, that would have meant spending the entire day getting ready for the extravagant ball held every year in honor of her and her mother's shared birthday, but Serenity and Helios had decided to spend the day in Elysion instead, holding their own private celebration.

And celebrate they did. As she waited for her husband to return with her birthday breakfast, Serenity giggled privately to herself, her skin still tingling from their early morning love-making session. She was so glad that they had decided to sneak away for the day. As much as she liked celebrating her birthday with her mother, it was nice to have the day devoted only to herself for once.

"You certainly look happy," Helios commented, coming back a short time later carrying a breakfast tray loaded with some of her favorite food.

Stretching blissfully, Serenity sat up and wrapped herself up in the silken sheets so that he could place the tray on her lap. "That's because I am happy," she said, kissing Helios when he joined her back in bed. "Extremely, completely, totally happy. This has got to be the best birthday ever!"

"The day isn't over yet," he reminded her. "There's still plenty of surprises in store. I haven't even given you my present yet."

"Ooo, present! Give me!"

Helios laughed, pouring her a glass of orange juice to go with the obscenely large stack of blueberry pancakes he had made her. "Breakfast first, then present."

Serenity playfully pouted, but she had built up quite an appetite earlier, so she dug right in to her breakfast, finishing off all the pancakes, sausage, and fresh fruit. "Mmm-mmm-mmm, that was delicious," she said, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "I am full. I don't think I can eat another bite. My compliments to the chef."

"Thank you."

Reaching for the tray, Helios set it aside, then walked over to the chest of drawers, where he pulled out a small, rectangular-shaped box, wrapped prettily in pale pink paper and curled silver ribbon. Serenity's eyes lit up when she saw it, and she immediately held out her hand, anxious to see what was inside.

"Let me see, let me see!"

"You know, you may be twenty-one today, but you haven't lost your inner child, have you?" he asked, chuckling as he placed the box in her outstretched hand. "Here you go. I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I'll like whatever it is, Helios. Thank you."

As she did whenever she received a gift, Serenity first shook the small box, wondering what it might be. By the size and shape of it, she thought it might be a bracelet or maybe even a necklace, but the box was surprisingly light and didn't make a sound. In fact, if she didn't know better, she would have thought it was empty, but Helios was not the type to play such a cruel joke on her, so Serenity untied the ribbon and ripped off the paper, her face falling slightly when she opened the box and saw what was inside.

"Oh! Baseball tickets," she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, quickly smiling again to hide her disappointment.

One of their first official dates had been to a Giants/Swallows game. Since Serenity hadn't had much experience with boys beforehand and wanted to plan an outing that Helios might enjoy, Sailor Jupiter had suggested she take him to his first baseball game. Helios ended up loving it, and ever since then, Serenity had feigned an interest in baseball, even though she actually thought the game was incredibly boring.

"They're for Koshien," he pointed out excitedly. "Plus, they're great seats, right behind home plate. The game isn't until later this summer, but…" His voice drifted off, and he frowned. "You hate them, don't you?"

Serenity glanced up in surprise. "What? No, of course not. These are…great. Super, even. I can't wait to go."

"Don't lie to me, Serenity," he said. "You actually don't like baseball, do you?"

"The truth?" Helios nodded, and she sighed, handing the box back to him. It looked like it was time for the mask to come off. "You're right. I'm not really a baseball fan. It's just that after I took you to that one game, you liked it so much that I felt like I had to pretend to like it, too. And I tried to like it, really I did, but…"

"…you don't," he finished.

"I'm sorry."

Pulling Serenity toward him, Helios wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, maiden, it's okay," he said. "I didn't fall in love with you because you liked baseball. I just wish you would have told me sooner. I never would have given you those tickets if I had known."

"We can still go," she said. "After all, they were my present, and it would be a shame to let them go to waste."

"You wouldn't mind?"

Serenity looked up at him and shook her head. "As long as I'm with you, I always have a good time, no matter where we are," she declared, kissing him on the cheek. "But, you know, there is one form of baseball I enjoy quite a bit."

"Oh?"

Wearing a seductive smile, she began untying the pair of drawstring pajama pants he had put to go to the kitchen. "The teams only consist of one player each, and there are no uniforms, but…if you're lucky, you just might get to second base. Wanna play?"

"Let's play ball!"

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	18. Snip, Snip

Title: Snip, Snip

Theme: Scissors

Genre: Humor

Version: Manga

Rating: G

Snip, Snip

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely, one hundred percent sure?"

"For the last time, yes. Just get started already."

"Okay, okay," Ceres sighed, loosening Serenity's odango ponytails so that her long pink hair fell in soft waves behind her. "I just don't want you to do something you'll end up regretting. You've been growing your hair out for years. I still can't believe you want to cut it all off."

Serenity shrugged, flipping through the magazine she had brought along for ideas. "It's time for a change. I'm bored of the same old hairstyle. My mother may be perfectly happy wearing the same boring odango for the rest of her life, but that doesn't mean I have to."

"I guess not… Do you have any ideas of what kind of cut you want?"

"I was thinking something like this." Coming across a picture of a popular idol, Serenity handed the magazine to Ceres to show her what she had in mind. The idol wore her hair in a very short, modern bob that was slightly longer in front than it was in the back. "What do you think?"

"You want to cut this much off?!"

Serenity laughed. "Might as well go all out."

"But your beautiful hair…"

"If I don't like it, it'll eventually grow back, Ceres," Serenity reminded her hairstylist. "It's no big deal."

"If you say so."

Reluctantly, Ceres picked up a comb and a pair of scissors and got to work, chopping off at least three feet of Serenity's hair, if not even more. Serenity, despite her bravada, did feel a slight sense of loss as Ceres made the first cut, but it lessened with each successive snip until it disappeared completely, replaced by excitement as the new style eventually took form.

Halfway through, Ceres twirled the chair so that Serenity couldn't see her reflection in the mirror. It built up the suspense, and, indeed, when Ceres finally finished and turned her back around, Serenity barely even recognized herself.

"This is…amazing," Serenity breathed, running her fingers through the drastically shortened hair. "I look like a totally different person. I love it!"

"It does suit you," Ceres admitted, "but look at all the hair I cut off."

Looking down at the floor, Serenity saw that it had become a sea of cotton candy pink tresses. She couldn't even tell what color the tiles were underneath the pile of cut hair. "Wow…"

"Such beautiful, beautiful hair…"

"Oh, Ceres, don't be so mopey," Serenity said, hopping out of the chair and giving her fellow pink-haired friend a hug. "It's only hair, and I love my new style. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it." Bending down with a small broom and a dustpin, Ceres began sweeping up the mess they had made. "So, who are you going to show the new style to first? The other girls? Your parents?"

"Actually, I think I'll sneak off to Elysion to show Helios first," Serenity said, smiling at the thought of the shocked look that was sure to be on his face when he saw her for the first time with her new hairstyle. "Do you think he'll like it?"

"He'll love it."

* * *

As was his custom after afternoon prayers, when he had a couple of free hours all to himself, Helios had gone to the Crystal Forest. With a book and a picnic lunch made by the Maenads of the shrine in hand, he settled down beside the small lake in the middle of the forest, enjoying the peace and quiet as he read.

In fact, it was so peaceful that Helios soon dozed off, his book forgotten as he dreamed of a certain odango-haired princess.

It was there that Serenity found him, and she smiled, thinking how cute he looked when he was sleeping. As quietly as she could, as not to wake him up, she laid down beside him, burying her face in his shoulder and wrapping an arm over his stomach.

Though he didn't awaken, Helios did respond to her presence, rolling over onto his side to embrace her. Serenity heard him mumble "Maiden," in his sleep, and one of his hands unconsciously reached up to run his fingers through her newly-cut hair.

It only took him a few seconds to realize something was different. His hand stopped in mid-stroke, and his golden eyes popped open.

"Serenity?"

Serenity laughed at his confusion, propping herself up on her elbow when Helios quickly rolled away as if he had done something wrong. The shocked look on his face was even better than she imagined. For a moment, it really seemed as if he thought she was somebody else, but when he finally saw her face, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare me like that!" he exclaimed, sitting back up. "I nearly had a heart attack.

"Sorry, sorry!" she apologized, though still giggling. "But you should have seen the look on your face! It was priceless!"

"Maiden, what happened to your hair?" he asked, taking a few strands of the shortened strands between her fingers.

Serenity sat back up so that he could see the full effect, shaking her head so that her hair bounced. "Ceres cut it for me. What do you think?"

"Well, it certainly is…different. Very short."

"I know. Isn't it great? My head feels so much lighter now, and it's bound to be a hundred times easier to take care of than my long hair. Best of all, no more stupid odango!"

Helios frowned. "I always rather liked your odango pigtails," he admitted. "I thought you looked very cute in them."

"Then…you don't like this new style?" she asked, some of her excitement over the haircut fading away.

"No, I didn't say that," he said, shaking his head. "It'll just take a little getting used to, that's all. It is very becoming on you, though."

"Really?"

Smiling, he scooted closer to her and pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face back behind her ear. "You would be beautiful even if you were bald, my maiden," Helios insisted. "Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"What?"

"Don't ever go bald."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	19. Web of Memories

Title: Web of Memories

Theme: Image

Genre: General

Version: Anime

Rating: G

Web of Memories

"Oh, look, Helios, there's a spider web. Isn't it pretty?"

Despite himself, a shiver ran up Helios' back at his maiden's words. It had been years since Nehelenia's failed attempt to gain control over Earth and Elysion, but that didn't stop him from being a little jumpy whenever he spotted a spider web. They reminded him of that terrible time when all could have been lost and everybody's dreams might have become nightmares.

Noticing his uneasiness, Serenity looped her arm around his, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're thinking about that time, aren't you?" she asked. "When we were fighting against the Dead Moon Circus?"

He nodded and sighed. "Don't you, whenever you see one?"

"I used to a lot, right after it first happened," Serenity admitted as they continued their walk through the gardens. "Even though I knew we had defeated her, I was always a little scared that she might come back, a fear that apparently wasn't too unfounded considering that she did return soon afterwards, thanks to Galaxia. But, after Eternal Sailor Moon purified her, I realized it was pointless to be afraid of them, so I decided not to be."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." She smiled. "Besides, the spider webs also remind me of a better, more happier memory."

"What would that be?" Helios asked, wondering what kind of fond memory she could possibly associate with those terrible things.

"Don't you remember? When Nehelenia had us held prisoner by those bands of spider's thread?"

The memories coming back to him, Helios smiled as well. "I called you Chibi-Usa for the first time."

"It made me so happy," Serenity said, squeezing his arm. "Not that I didn't love you calling me your maiden, but to hear you shouting my name… In spite everything that happened with Nehelenia and the Dead Moon Circus, I'm kind of glad it did, because it brought you into my life. Is it terrible to think that?"

Helios shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I know what you're saying. We didn't meet each other in the best of circumstances, but in a roundabout way, I suppose we have Nehelenia to thank for bringing us together. If not for her, we might have never met."

"Funny how things turn out that way." Stopping again, Serenity kneeled down beside a bed of rose bushes and pointed to something that Helios could not see. "Look, there's another one. It looks like its owner made a mistake while weaving it, but, still, it's beautiful, isn't it?"

Pushing back his dislike of spider webs, Helios squatted down for a better look. As Serenity had pointed out, it wasn't as perfectly formed as the other web they had seen earlier, but remembering what she had said, he smiled, no longer seeing memories of Tokyo covered in Nehelenia's darkness. Only one, happy memory flashed before his eyes.

"Beautiful, Chibi-Usa."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	20. In His Dreams

Title: In His Dreams

Theme: Aphrodisiac

Genre: Romance/Humor

Version: Manga

Rating: R

In His Dreams

The first thing Helios noticed as he entered the sitting room of his maiden's suite was the candles. Casting off a warm, romantic glow, they were scattered everywhere throughout the room, making the need for artificial lighting unnecessary. Indeed, the room was otherwise dark, the only other source of light being the bright full moon that shone in through the large window.

In the center of the room, he saw that a table for two had been set. A group of five pure white candles had been set together in the middle of the table, making the light more concentrated there than the rest of the room, and a bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket of ice. Walking over to the table, he noticed that it was one of his favorites and began to pour two glasses, wondering where Serenity was. Diana, who he had run into on the way to Serenity's suite, had told him to go right in, but his maiden was no where in sight.

"Serenity?" he called. "Are you here?"

Just then, the door that lead to Serenity's bedroom opened, revealing his beloved maiden, although she looked quite different than her usual self. In contrast to her usual flowing dresses of innocent pastels, Serenity wore a curve-hugging, burgundy gown that made her look more the vixen than the maiden, especially when she turned around. The dress was almost completely backless, and a golden chain dropped down from the collar, ending with a garnet stone that fell right at the small of her back.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Helios tightened his grip around his champagne glass so he wouldn't accidentally drop it.

"Do you like it?" Serenity asked coyly, though by the smile on her blood-red lips, it was obvious she already knew the answer.

Helios could only nod, unable to take his eyes off of her as he silently offered her the other glass. She had always been a beautiful girl, but that night, Serenity was absolutely stunning, showing off a side of herself he had never seen before. He had to admit he quite liked it.

"Shall we eat?" she suggested, indicating the two plates on the table, which were suddenly filled with oysters.

Funny, Helios didn't remember seeing them before, but he pushed the thought from his mind and pulled one of the chairs out from under the table so Serenity could sit down. As she did so, he caught a whiff of her jasmine-scented perfume.

The dinner, which consisted of nearly every rumored aphrodisiac known to man, was delicious, and the food certainly worked its mythical magic on him. By the time dessert -- a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries -- arrived, they could barely keep their hands off of each other, Serenity abandoning her chair to sit on his lap. They took turns feeding each other, stopping in between each strawberry to give each other lingering kisses and soft caresses.

"Maybe…we…should…continue…this in…my bedroom," Serenity said breathlessly during one such kiss, the strawberries by then all but forgotten.

Helios agreed, standing up while still holding Serenity in his arms and heading to her bedroom. As in the sitting room, the room was lit by candlelight, and somebody had strewn red rose petals all over her pillows and bedspread. After Helios gently set Serenity back down on her feet, they continued where they had left off, passionately kissing each other as they helped take each other's clothes off.

Serenity, as it turned out, had not been wearing anything at all underneath her sexy dress. As the gown slipped down to her ankles, revealing her beautiful nude form, she temporarily broke away from their kisses, letting Helios take it all in. She then led him over to the bed, ridding him of his last piece of clothing -- his boxers -- before laying back and offering herself completely to him.

For a long moment, Helios simply stared down at her, taking in every inch of her pale white skin from her full round breasts to her mile long legs. She was unbelievable beautiful, just as he had imagined, and he couldn't believe it was finally happening. Joining her on the bed, he fought against his desire to just go for it and took things nice and slow, exploring her body like a detective looking for clues. Her sighs and lustful moans told him when he was on the right track, and he became even more excited by her reactions. In fact, for one moment, he thought he even felt the earth move.

Unfortunately…

"Helios-sama, wake up! You're going to be late for morning prayers."

Groaning, Helios opened his eyes and found himself staring up not at the face of his maiden, but of Aurora, one the Maenads who lived with him at the shrine. He quickly realized he was back in Elysion, sleeping in his own bed, and what he thought had been an earthquake had only been Aurora shaking him awake.

He blushed in embarrassment and sighed.

A dream.

It had only been a dream.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	21. Elysia

Title: Elysia

Theme: Honor

Genre: General/WAFF

Version: Animanga

Rating: G

Elysia

"It's a girl!"

Those three little words changed Helios' life forever. Looking over at his wife, who looked beautiful even drenched in sweat after seventeen hours of labor, he brought her hand, which was still clutching his, up to his lips and kissed it.

"You did it, maiden," he said. "We have a daughter."

Though she must have been exhausted, Serenity managed a smile, wiping tears of joy from her face. "Oh, Helios, a little girl!"

"Would the proud papa like to cut the umbilical cord?" the obstetrician asked.

Helios nodded, doing as the doctor instructed him. Once that was done and the baby was cleaned up, the doctor handed the precious newborn over to her mother, bundled up in a soft pink blanket that matched her hair. She looked exactly as Helios imagined Serenity must have looked when she was first born, and, like most proud new fathers, he was certain that his daughter was the most beautiful baby in the world.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" the doctor asked.

"Not yet," Serenity answered, somewhat surprising Helios.

"That's fine. Take as much time as you need. For now, I'll give you some time alone to bond with the new princess. Your Highness, somebody will come by later to show you how to nurse."

With that, the doctor and the nurse who had assisted with the delivery left the private suite, giving the royal couple their privacy. Sitting down beside Serenity on the bed, Helios wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you," he said, caressing his daughter's plump, soft cheek with his thumb. "She's absolutely beautiful, my maiden. Just like her mother."

"She is, isn't she?" Serenity cooed, landing a kiss on the top of the baby's head. "Would you like to hold her, Papa?"

"May I?"

Serenity laughed. "Of course, silly. She's your daughter, too, after all. Just make sure you support her head."

Gingerly, as if she was a porcelain doll that would break at the slightest touch, Helios took his daughter in his arms for the first time, amazed by how much love he felt for her already. He thought his heart was about to burst from his overwhelming happiness.

"So, why did you tell the doctor that we hadn't picked out a name yet?" he asked, remembering earlier. "I thought her name was going to be Serenity, after you, your mother and grandmother. That's the Lunarian tradition, isn't it?"

Serenity shrugged. "It is, but some traditions are made to be broken, right?"

"I thought it was rules that were made to be broken."

"Rules, traditions -- nearly the same thing," she said. "Besides, I've had my heart set on a certain name since the moment I found out she was coming."

That was news to Helios. During her pregnancy, Serenity had never once mentioned having any other names in mind. "Oh?"

"What do you think about the name Elysia, in honor of your homeland?" she asked after a brief pause.

"Elysia?" Looking down at the little girl in his arms, Helios smiled as his daughter waved her arm around, as if trying to give her approval to the name. "I think she likes it, and so do I. It's perfect, Serenity."

"I think so, too," she agreed. "Our little Princess Elysia…"

"…may all her dreams come true."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at ten for the smmonthly community at Livejournal, Theme - Honor.


	22. One Last Night

Title: One Last Night

Theme: _To You I Bestow_ by Mundy

Genre: Angst

Version: Animanga

Rating: PG-13

One Last Night

They knew it would never last.

They knew, yet it never mattered during those fleeting moments they found to be together. Every worry, every responsibility, every commitment they had seemed to fade away when they were in each other's arms, and, for a short time at least, it was as if they were the only two people in the world.

But, as always, reality inevitably caught up with them. When the morning came, he was already gone from her bed, though never out of her heart.

On one such morning, when she opened her eyes and saw the familiar rumpled sheets left behind by her lover, Serenity reached for his pillow and took in the lingering scent of him as she crushed it against her body. She could feel her eyes beginning to water, but she refused to let herself cry.

After all, it was better to have some of Helios, rather than nothing at all. That was what she kept telling herself, at least.

Serenity no longer knew if she believed that or not. Though she knew from the very beginning that they could never have the life together she truly wanted due to their respective duties -- his as the priest of the dreamland Elysion, and hers as the crown princess of Crystal Tokyo -- Serenity thought it would be enough just to have him in her life, no matter if sometimes months passed by between his visits. She truly thought she could accept the arrangement, but…

The truth was, she wasn't happy. Maybe she was being selfish, wanting more than just secret trysts with the man she had loved ever since she was a little girl, but was that so horrible? For years, she had dreamed of finding her Prince Charming, marrying him in a beautiful, elaborate wedding, and raising a family together as they ruled together over Crystal Tokyo. It was a dream most girls had, but, for her, that would all that it would ever be.

A dream.

Serenity, rolling onto her back, hugged the pillow even tighter to her chest. She knew the choice she had to make, but that didn't make it any easier to admit. Still, she couldn't keep living her life like this, just existing for the moments she would be able to see him again.

The next time he came, it would be the last.

* * *

"I don't understand."

Helios didn't know quite what hit him. One moment, they were making passionate love like there was no tomorrow, and, the next, his maiden was telling him that there really was no tomorrow, at least not for them.

"Helios, don't make this harder than it already is," Serenity pleaded, wiping away a wayward tear with her hand. Wrapping a satin sheet around her nude body, she sat up in bed. "This just isn't working any more."

"Why?" he asked, still trying to get his mind around what she had just told him. "Is there somebody else?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why are you asking me not to come anymore?"

"It's just too hard," she said, her voice cracking despite her best attempt to act cool and in control. "I want more than…this. I want a husband, a family. I want to wake up in the morning and actually see somebody laying beside me instead of an empty spot."

"Serenity, you know I can't give that to you, no matter how much I wish I could," Helios reminded her. "I'm needed in Elysion. I can't leave, any more than you can give up your title and come live with me."

"I know, Helios. That's why I think this is the best decision, for both of us. It's cruel to keep seeing each other, knowing that we can never have any real future together. Can't you understand?"

Helios sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, he did understand how she felt, since he had felt those same feelings as well. He always pushed them away, though, not wanting to give up his maiden's love. Even if it was torture every time he snuck away after one of their rendezvous to return to Elysion, he thought it was worth it as long as he could be with her.

But if that was no longer what she wanted…

"Are you sure, maiden?" he asked. "Is this really what you want?"

She nodded, though she refused to meet his eyes. "Please, just go."

In compliance with her wishes, Helios gathered his clothes off the floor and got dressed. Before he left, however, he gave Serenity one final kiss, tasting the salt of her tears on her lips.

"This may be goodbye," he said, "but I will never stop loving you, and I will never stop waiting. Remember that."

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for the smmonthly community at Livejournal.


	23. Masquerade

-1**Title:** Masquerade  
**Theme:** Ballroom  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Version:** Animanga  
**Rating:** G 

Masquerade

Looking at her reflection in her vanity mirror, Princess Lady Serenity sighed.

Tonight, the palace was holding a special masquerade ball in honor of her debut into adult society. Hundreds of available young men from all over the world had come to Crystal Tokyo in hopes of becoming her suitor, yet Serenity could not bring herself to be excited about the prospect, knowing that the one man she truly wanted to see would not likely be there. After all, over a thousand years had passed since they had last seen each other, and he had probably forgotten all about her and the promise he had made to her all those years ago.

"Why the long face, Your Highness?" her guardian cat Diana, who had transformed into her human form to help Serenity dress, asked as she curled her mistress's long, cotton-candy pink hair with a curling iron. "Today should be a happy day for you. You've been looking forward to your coming-out ball since you were a little girl."

Reaching for a nearby tube of lipstick, Serenity shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she lied, painting her lips a deep red that almost matched her eyes. "I guess now that it's finally time, it doesn't seem as exciting as I thought it would. Anyway, how does this color look on me? Do you think it's a bit much?"

"Maybe a little."

"I think so, too." Serenity blotted the lipstick off with a tissue, then selected another shade. "That's better," she said, pressing her lips after putting on the new color.

By that time, Diana had finished styling Serenity's hair into a slightly more intricate version of her normal odango. Each rabbit-eared-shaped odango had a braid wrapped around its base, while the hair that hung loose fell down in soft waves at her sides. To complete the look, she wore a pearl circlet on the top of her head, a diamond crescent moon charm perfectly covering the golden sigil that signified her Lunarian heritage.

Diana smiled, pleased by her work. "You look beautiful, Your Highness. Every man at tonight's ball will be dying to dance with you."

"Thanks, Diana," Serenity said unenthusiastically, standing up and taking off her robe so Diana could help her into her dress.

If there was one thing about the ball she was excited about, it was her gown, designed especially for her by one of the top designers in Crystal Tokyo. Since it was a masquerade, Serenity was appropriately going as the Moon Goddess, wearing a form-fitting white satin gown with a pearl-trimmed bodice and flowing sheer sleeves that almost looked like wings if she held her arms in the right position. Her hand-held mask, which was designed to match, was also encrusted with pearls and trimmed with gold sequins.

Diana gasped in awe as Serenity admired her reflection in the mirror, and even Serenity smiled for the first time that evening, pleased with the effect.

"Thank you, Diana," she said again, this time with more sincerity in her voice.

Diana, who was already dressed in her cat princess costume, smiled, then began shooing Serenity toward the door. "Now, come on, come on, the ball is about to start," she said, practically pushing Serenity out into the hall. "The guest of honor cannot be late for her own party."

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going. You don't have to be so pushy about it," Serenity laughed.

_Maybe this ball won't be so bad after all_, she thought as Diana led her to the stairway entrance to the ballroom. Even if _he_ wasn't able to be able to make it, there would be plenty of other men there, all "dying to dance" with her, as Diana had put it. And who knew? Maybe even one of them could make her forget all about a certain silver-haired priest of Elysion, although Serenity highly doubted it.

Determined to have a good time, Serenity forced herself to smile as she and Diana met up with her father -- who looked as dashing as always dressed up as Tuxedo Kamen -- at the top of the staircase leading down to the ballroom. Already, the room was full almost to capacity, and Serenity saw that a majority of the guests were young men.

"Are you nervous?" her father asked her, offering his arm to her as Diana excused herself to announce them. "You know, if you don't feel like you are ready to make your debut, we can always postpone for another twenty, thirty years or so. It would not be a problem at all."

Serenity giggled and rolled her eyes. If her father had it his way, she would stay his sweet and innocent Small Lady for the rest of his life. "Oh, Papa, I'm sixteen years old. It's time for me to make my proper debut. I've been waiting for this night since I was a little girl."

"I know, I know," he sighed. "But still…"

Before he could complete his thought, however, the orchestra stopped playing and the whole room went silent as the guests formed a large circle around the bottom of the stairs. In the center of that circle stood Diana, but everybody's eyes were lifted upwards to the top of the stairs, and Serenity felt a few butterflies flutter in her stomach as she realized it was time.

"Ladies and gentleman," Diana said, "I present to you our crown princess, Lady Serenity, and her father, his majesty, King Endymion."

_Please don't let me trip, oh, please don't let me trip, _Serenity prayed as she tightly gripped her father's arm and they made their way down the stairs.

As they had rehearsed over a thousand times in preparation for that night, her father led Serenity to the center of the circle where Diana had stood previously and bowed deeply to her, to which Serenity lowered into a deep curtsy in response. It was then that the orchestra started up again, and Serenity and the king began the traditional father-daughter dance as the guests looked on, murmuring softly among themselves about Serenity's great beauty.

To her relief, Serenity did not make a single misstep throughout the entire foxtrot with her father, and, as Diana predicted, she soon had plenty of offers from the other men to dance. Wanting to be a gracious host, she danced with anybody who asked, but couldn't stop herself from looking for the one man she truly wanted to be her partner on the dance floor.

The fact that almost everyone was wearing elaborate masks did not make the search any easier. Her heart beat a little faster whenever a silver-haired man approached her, but every time she was disappointed when she failed to see his golden eyes staring out at her from behind the man's mask. After a couple of hours passed by with no luck, Serenity gave up hope of seeing him that night and tried to focus instead on having a good time, which was easier said than done.

It wasn't as if she didn't like any of her dance partners. A few of them were quite charming, and had Serenity not already had a certain man on her mind all night long, she probably wouldn't have minded getting to know them better, but even when she tried not to think about him, her heart just wasn't into it.

As the night neared to an end, Serenity sighed, realizing that she had not found one man she wanted to be her partner in the closing dance. The last dance of the coming-out ball was traditionally reserved for the debutante and her suitor of choice. Knowing that she had to pick somebody, anybody, Serenity decided to ask a silver-haired man standing a few feet away from her, thinking that even if she couldn't dance with Helios, she could at least pretend the guy was him.

"Excuse me, sir, but may I have this dance?" Serenity asked.

The man, who she didn't remember dancing with before, smiled and nodded, offering his arm as again the guests formed a circle around them and the orchestra began playing a romantic waltz.

Though Serenity couldn't see the color of his eyes due to the way his mask was made, she was amazed by how much her dance partner resembled Priest Helios. It made it very easy to imagine that she was really in Helios' arms again, and, in fact, as they waltzed together in the spotlight, she momentarily forgot that she was dancing with a total stranger, letting herself fully believe the fantasy she saw in her mind.

But, like most good fantasies, it eventually had to end, and Serenity parted reluctantly from the mystery man when the orchestra finished playing their song. "Thank you for the dance," she said to the man as they bowed to the applauding crowd. "You were a wonderful dancer."

"It was my pleasure, my maiden," the man replied with a smile, causing Serenity to stop mid-curtsy.

It couldn't be him. He hadn't come to the ball. She had spent the entire night looking for him, yet…

Turning the man toward her, Serenity reached up with shaking hands for his mask and gasped.

Golden eyes.

He had kept his promise after all.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Winner of Best Romance for April 2007 at sm monthly.


	24. An Empty Nest

-1Title: An Empty Nest

Theme: Daddy's Girl

Genre: General

Version: Manga

Rating: G

An Empty Nest

She will always be my little girl.

Fathers around the world have been claiming since the beginning of time, but I never really understood it until I became a father myself. Even as I watch her blossom into womanhood, I can't help but still see her as a child, innocent and pure like an angel.

In a way, I suppose I was spoiled. For most fathers, their little girls grow up far too quickly, going from tea parties with their stuffed animals to their first boy/girl dance in the blink of an eye. For me, however, my little girl stayed a little girl for over nine hundred years, and even then, the time seemed to pass by too quickly.

Don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm not happy that Small Lady's growth has finally restarted after so many years of remaining stagnant. I want her to eventually grow up, fall in love, get married, and make me a grandpa. It's just so hard to let her go, although no matter how hard I try to hold onto her, I already feel her slipping away from me.

No more is she the little girl whose idea of the perfect day was spending it with her father. Now she is embarrassed to even be seen with me in public, preferring to hang out with her friends instead.

No longer does she crawl in my lap at night, asking me to tell her stories of the legendary Sailor Moon; she's living those tales for herself as she trains with her own group of guardian senshi to become as strong a soldier as her mother.

Gone are the days when I was the most important man in her life. I know she will always love me, but another man has taken the number one spot in her heart, a man I can't help but to resent a little even as I see how happy he makes my daughter.

Why can't she stay mine forever? Maybe I'm being selfish, but she was mine first. I was the one who helped create her. I was the first man she loved, the man she said she wanted to marry when she was too innocent to understand what she was saying.

I'm not ready to give her to another. Not yet.

Despite that, when he comes to me to ask for her hand, I look into my daughter's eyes and realize I can't keep her. In my eyes, she may still be my little girl, but somewhere along the way, she also became her own woman. It pains my heart, but a part of me is also glad, for it is every parent's dream to see their child become their own person.

So, like a mother bird, it is time for me to let my baby bird leave the nest, to fly toward a new life with the man she loves.

Goodbye, baby bird. I love you.

DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.


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